MOTOFIESTA IN ICELAND 12 day tour

general information

A trip to Iceland is our newest idea to spend an unforgettable motorcycle summer.
The expedition is constructed in a similar way to our Spanish Motofiesta. We will fill our base near Reykjavik with a fleet of Yamaha XT660R motorcycles. These are very versatile, durable and reliable motorcycles that perform perfectly in the mixed Icelandic conditions. Motorcycles will also be available for rent between tours.
We planned two types of the trips – longer, 10 days around the island and shorter, 6 days on the Western Fjords. For organized groups we will be able to prepare the trip according to the reported requirements.
A 10-day trip will be conducted around the island, giving you the opportunity to taste almost every region of Iceland. The total length of the route will be 2000km. About 85% will be on good quality asphalt, while 15% will be gravel roads. The longest gravel section will be along the F35 road through the so-called Interior – the inner part of Iceland. We will then drive around 170km on dirt with one overnight stay on the way. It will be a special night, because we will spend it in tents on one of the best campgrounds in Iceland. Camping has all the necessary amenities. Tents and camping equipment will be transported separately, so you do not have to carry it with you. Daily sections during tour will not exceed 250km. An approximate map of the route is located below.
During the 6-day trip, we will guide you north of Reykjavik, exploring the Western Fjords. Profile of the route is similar to the longer version – majority of asphalt and a small percentage of gravel roads. The total length of the route is approximately 1400 km. Daily sections do not exceed 250 km.

Itinerary

The journey will start after landing in Keflavik, a town located on the picturesque, but very severe Reykjanes Peninsula, near the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík. The first day will be devoted to airport transfer, short acclimatization. We will also repack the luggage and get familiar with bikes. We will prepare for the journey starting the next day.

DAY 2

Reykjavik – Vik, 200 km.

The Reykjanes peninsula has many natural wonders. Lava fields stretching to the horizon, active volcanoes, geothermal springs, ocean and mountains will accompany us during the first day of the expedition. Going south east, we will pass glaciers, waterfalls and other active volcanoes. We will pass right next to the Eyjafjallajökull. It’s the one that erupted April 15, 2010. Fortunately, it did not cause casualties, but volcanic dust effectively stopped aircraft traffic over almost all of Europe. We will also stop at the 60-meter waterfall Seljalandsfoss, and then at the several times more powerful Skógafoss, where you can almost touch the cascade of water. Going farther we will pass another glacier – Mýrdalsjökull, where Iceland began being settled, and then we will reach the Dyrhólaey Peninsula. Rocks form cliffs up to 120 meters high up there. The next stop will be the most famous Iceland beach – the black Reynisfjara. We spend the night in Vik, a few kilometers away.

DAY 3

Vik – Hofn, 280 km.

We will set out heading further east and the first place we visit will be Hjorleifshofdi and Yoda Cave, the one from Star Wars. Why Yoda? You will see yourself, I will not tell you everything. During the further route we will pass deserts, lava fields, and we will be accompanied by a glacier on the horizon and the ocean. The next stop will be at the picturesque Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, which has been drilled by the Fjaðrá river to a depth of almost 100 meters. Next, the trip will run through the desert towards the Vatnajökull National Park, where is the largest glacier in Iceland with the same name. Under its surface there are powerful and very active volcanoes. Going further east, we’ll try to get closer to one of the glacier’s tongues. We will also be at the lake, or actually glacial lagoon, the Jökulsárlón, where the great ice mountains flow into the sea. The surroundings of the glacier and the lagoon were used in such films as James Bond, Batman Begins, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and the Game of Thrones series. Driving further we head towards the eastern end of the island, where we will have accommodation in the Hofn area.

DAY 4

Hofn – Eskifjörður, 250 km

Today we enter the region called the Eastern Fjords, starting from a very picturesque corner – the Vestrarhorn mountain. It is one of the most visited by photographers and travelers mountain, located on the south – east of the island. Its shape resembles a giant bird with folded wings. On our way we will also pass the swan fjord – Alftafjordur. Going further along the road to the east, we will cross the tunnel, which is the real gate to another world. The sharp peaks of the mountains, the ocean and the road that cut into land form an almost unreal landscape. On the way, we will stop in a few interesting places, eg in Djúpivogur, Breiðdalsvík and the fishing village of Stöðvarfjörður. We will drive along a gravel road with beautiful views through the Vattarnes Peninsula.

Accommodation will be near the village of Eskifjörður.

DAY 5

Eskifjörður – Þórshöfn, 320 km.

Going along the eastern route winding northward among the fjords and mountains, we reach the small town of Egilsstadir, which lies on the shores of Lake Lagarfljót. In the vicinity of the lake there is the largest forest complex in Iceland and one of the highest waterfalls in Iceland – Hengifoss. It has a height of 118 meters. Departing from Egilsstadir, we will head to the north – eastern part of the country to Borgarfjörður eystri, where the mountains peaks are up to 700 m above sea level. We will go to the point where you can observe the puffins. We will continue our route to the north with a mixture of asphalt and gravel routes, until we get to an accommodation near Þórshöfn.

DAY 6

Þórshöfn – Husavik, 200 km

The rest of the trip will lead to the northern part of the island. We will visit the village of Raufarhöfn, which is located near the Arctic Circle and is the most northerly town of Iceland. In June, the sun does not go down there! We will go to Kópasker and then north to the canyon of Asbyrgi, which is located in the National Park Jökulsárgljúfur. The canyon, which has been hollowed out for thousands of years by the Jökulsá á Fjöllum, the second longest river in Iceland, is now dry. The river has changed its course and now flows east of the canyon. After a short break, we drive to the powerful waterfall Dettifoss – by combining volume flow, width and height, it is one of the richest in energy waterfalls in Europe. We spend the night in the area of Husavik.

DAY 7

Day off.

Husavik is best known for two things – whales and geothermal sources. During the day off we will use it. We will go on a 3 hour boat trip on the Skjálfandi bay, which is home to about 24 species of whales. With a bit of luck, we’ll also see blue whales, killer whales, finwale and dolphins as well as puffins. After return, we will have a relax in the unique Geosea bath. Like other objects of this type, it uses geothermal resources, but the difference is that it is filled with naturally heated seawater. The temperature varies between 38 and 39 degrees Celsius, so it is ideal for bathing. In addition, the pools are open to the Skjálfandi bay, so while being immersed in hot water we can watch the mountain peaks and icy Atlantic waves in the bay.

DAY 8

Husavik – Akureyri, 180 km.

Today we will visit the active geothermal Area of Námafjall, with colorful mountains, smoking craters, bubbling muds and the scent of sulfur everywhere. We will go to the active Krafla volcano complex. It is an area of 10 km long and 2 km wide, located at the junction of the receding Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. A space so cosmic that there are plans of building a research station that can conduct geological and biological research in conditions similar to those … on Mars. Later, we will head towards the blue-green Lake Myvatn and further to Akureyri, stopping at the Godafoss waterfall, one of the largest and most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland, also known as the Gods Falls.

In Akureyri itself, we will visit the house of Santa, and then we will move deeper into the fjord for the night.

DAY 9

Akureyri – Skagaströnd, 310 km.

We will leave Akureyri heading north-west to Hauganes, Dalvik and Ólafsfjörður, with a very interesting location between the lake and the fjord. Then pass two mountain tunnels to Siglufjörður. The city that owes its most intense development to herring fishing. There is even a herring museum … The road will lead us to Hofsós, another village located by the bay. However, here it’s possible to enjoy the view of the islands located in the fjord. Then we will go to Varmahld and the Glaumbær open-air museum, where you can see peat houses – a traditional example of Icelandic architecture at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Then we will move up the fjord to reach a natural spring where you can take a bath. Later we go through the mountains to Skagaströnd and then on to the gravel road to Kálfshamarsvík, with wonderful basaltic formations and an old, picturesque fishing village. We will return to the area of Skagaströnd for the night.

DAY 10

Skagaströnd – Hveravellir, 130 km.

This day will be marked as an off-road riding, as we will take the F35 road – one of the oldest Icelandic routes in the interior. Importantly, Icelandic law very precisely defines what is allowed off-road and what is a serious violation. You can ride only within the designated area of the road, because every exit from this area (even by half a meter!) Is forbidden and punished with very high fines. We will cut the island from north to south going between the glaciers and the desert among the ubiquitous, breathtaking views. Crossing the wilderness we will head south passing two glaciers – Hofsjokull and Langjokull. For the night we will stop in the active geothermal and very unique area of Hveravellir, a real oasis among the wilderness. We will spend it in tents at the campground.

DAY 11

Hveravellir – Reykjavik, 210 km

From this place, we will again remind you that off-road driving outside of designated areas is forbidden and punished with high fines.

The last day of driving will lead us through the rest of the Icelandic interior. We will visit the Kerlingarfjöll mountain range and go towards one of the most visited tourist attractions – the Gullfoss waterfall, also known as the golden waterfall. It has two cascades set at an angle to each other which makes it especially beautiful and unique. Heading further south – west, we will stop at the geothermal springs and probably the most famous geyser – Geysir and Strokkur accompanying it. Currently, the latter remains the only active geyser in Europe. Going further, we will head towards the famous National Park Þingvellir, which will close the so-called Golden Circle. Then we go to the base, where the motorcycle will be put back to a garage, deposit will be returned and you will transported to the last night in the vicinity of Reykjavik.

DAY 12

A transfer to the airport for a return flight is scheduled for this day.